


Family Affair

by phenomanon



Series: CSI Episodic Rewrites [3]
Category: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Genre: Angst, Domestic Fluff, Idiots in Love, M/M, One Shot, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-06
Updated: 2019-09-06
Packaged: 2020-10-10 05:14:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20522516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phenomanon/pseuds/phenomanon
Summary: After almost losing Nick, Greg has a change of heart and goes around the lab making things right. (Slight AU)





	Family Affair

"Busy morning. We've got a possible 420 at a weekly on... Boulder Highway. Greg, you take it."

"Are you serious? You're sending me on a trash run to a fleabag motel?"

"What's the problem?" Catherine repeated, not in the mood to argue.

"Why me? I mean, there are people here with less seniority."

"Present and accounted for. It's all right. I'm happy to do it." Ray spoke up, humbly moving forward to ease the present tension.

"No, no, that's not the point, Ray. When your supervisor assigns you a case, you don't whine about it, you take it; he knows that." Nick said carefully, trying to show concern with his eyes.

"Who asked you?" Greg heatedly exclaimed, raising his arms almost as a warning gesture.

"Nick, I need you over here." Catherine quickly cut in, using her motherly intuition to pull Nick towards her side of the crime scene.

"You know better than that." Nick scolded Greg again, piercing him with cold eyes. Then barely above a whisper: "_Stop_."

"Greg, why don't you go around the other side of the vehicle?" Catherine stated, not really expecting an answer.

"Fine."

Defeated, Greg picked up his kit and left the scene as fast as he could.

\----------

"Greg, we need to talk."

Greg didn't even look up from the game he was playing.

"Yo man, I'm talking to you." Nick spoke more sternly this time, using the same bravado from his cop days. Greg was pissed, but he knew Nick well enough not to challenge him in this instance.

"What do you want?"

"You know what."

"Beats me." Greg shrugged, mindlessly pretending to pay attention to his game.

"Cut it out babe, I'm serious."

"Ugh."

"What's going on with you?"

"Nothing."

"Talk to me." Nick finally replied, invading Greg's personal space by wrapping his arms around the younger man. Greg tried to shake Nick off, but he wasn't budging.

"I'm just tired of everyone giving me shit. No one takes me seriously around here!" Greg screamed, the Playstation controller flying out of his hands.

"Now you know that's not true, Greg."

"It is and you know it."

Nick let out a deep sign, unsure of how to handle this situation without further upsetting Greg.

"Look—"

"Just leave me alone." 

"The way you treated Catherine and Ray today was not okay. Not only are they your coworkers, but they're your friends."

"They're _your_ friends!"

"Don't be like that Greg. I just got off work and I'm not here to fight."

"No one told you to pick a fight with me. You didn't even defend me in front of everyone. I'm always the punchline."

"First of all, you were being inappropriate. And you don't talk to people that way Greg, you know that. You disrespected Ray, who's been nothing but nice to you."

"Are you kidding me? You're defending him right now?" Greg screeched, his voice full of anger and emotion. He ripped his body out of Nick's grasp and ran to the bedroom.

Nick shook his head. He knew there was no getting to Greg when he was in one of his moods, which were becoming more frequent as of late.

Hearing the door slam shut, Nick sighed as he picked up the controller and placed it back onto the coffee table. He turned off the TV but left the console running just in case Greg wanted to return to his game later.

A few moments later, the house was silent again, except for faint noises coming from the bedroom. 

Curious, Nick shifted his position on the couch and moved closer towards the sound. Once he was in front of the bedroom door, he softly placed his head on the wooden panel to hear what sounded like sobbing. Suddenly feeling bad for being insensitive, he carefully opened the door for closer inspection.

Greg was sprawled out on the bed, head down, quietly sobbing into a pillow. He honestly wasn't even that upset, but crying was a cathartic release for the pent up anger and hostility residing deep within him. He was overworked, exhausted, and undervalued, all at the same time.

Nick gingerly sat next to him on the bed, carefully running his hands through his hair in an attempt to comfort Greg.

"Go away."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Maybe I could have been a little more considerate back at the scene. But it's 'cause I didn't want you on Cath's bad side. And you were out of line."

"Ugh."

"Hey. What can I do to make you feel better? You hungry? Wanna go see a movie? We can play a round of FIFA."

"I just wanna sleep."

"Okay, if that's what you want." Nick sighed, slowly getting up from the bed.

"...Are you leaving?"

"I don't have to."

Greg didn't respond, instead he angrily moved his body towards the edge of the bed, signaling for Nick to join him. Nick got the hint and quietly laid next to him, listening to Greg's erratic breathing calm itself. Although Greg still refused to look at him, Nick patiently joined their fingers in an attempt to connect. A good thirty minutes passed before Nick realized Greg was asleep, carefully analyzing the rhythm of his breathing. The rise and fall of Greg's body became slower and smoother, making Nick grin to himself for witnessing the lion return to his cage. Suddenly his phone began to vibrate, taking Nick out of his ethereal experience.

Greg rustled in his sleep like a pile of autumn leaves, mumbling sounds that vaguely resembled words. After checking the message on his phone, a 911 to get back to the lab, Nick kissed Greg on the forehead before rising off the bed.

\----------

It was more than five hours later when Greg finally awoke, plagued by the constant beeping from his nightstand. Rubbing his tired eyes, Greg mindlessly reached for his phone, nearly dropping it when he read what was on the screen. 

_'Shootout at the lab. Me and Sara. We're OK. Be home late.'_

Greg was jolted into consciousness, nearly falling off the bed in the process. He kicked off the covers in a hurry and quickly began to get himself together, searching desperately for his keys. His hands were shaking wildly as he tried to text Nick back.

That's when Greg noticed Nick's message was more than an hour ago. That familiar feeling of dread was returning...

_'Omg where are you?! Lab? OMW! I love you.'_

Greg couldn't believe what he had just read. Now he had to go to the lab, just to make sure Nick wasn't pulling his fake hero act again when he was really hurt.

_'You don't have to come. We're OK. Love you.'_

Tears were springing out of Greg's eyes as he immediately felt like an idiot. He could have lost Nick today, and he would have left this world on bad terms with Greg. Everything else besides Nick and Sara's safety seemed trivial at this point.

Grabbing the keys off the table, Greg rushed down the hall and out the door to make sure Nick really was okay.

\----------

"Told ya I was okay."

"Nick! Oh my God, is Sara okay?"

"Yeah, we're both okay."

Greg crushed Nick's body in a hug.

"Nick!"

"It's okay. _Really_."

"I know...I'm sorry about everything—Stupid stupid stupid!"

"We're fine, G. Neither of us got shot. See?"

Greg didn't care who was looking as he rummaged his hands throughout Nick's body, checking for any additional wounds he might have been hiding.

"I'm sorry. I was being an asshole and you were beingthegoodguylikealwaysand—"

Nick pulled Greg into another bear hug, trying to silence the convulsing scientist as best he could. Even though he was shaken up himself, Nick knew he had to put on a brave face for Greg.

"Does that mean you owe me a massage later? My muscles are pretty tense, ya know."

"Whatever you want. Hell, I'll even fan you with a leaf."

Nick smirked, inhaling deep enough to drown himself in Greg's scent. He had to admit, in that moment with Sara, all he could think about was Greg. Leaving him on that bed, lonely and sad. What a melancholy way to say goodbye.

"When you're mad—when either of us are mad, can we promise to talk it out next time? Use our words? I don't want either of us going to bed angry anymore."

"Of course. I forgot what this feels like, to be honest. The fear of...the fear of losing you."

Greg held on tighter, trying to forever remember what it felt like to be with Nick, in his arms, his smell, the sounds of his breathing, his outlines...

"So, guess you guys made up?"

The two men were broken out of their echo chamber through Catherine's voice.

"I'm sorry, Cath." Greg quickly replied, detaching himself from Nick and hugging her gently.

Catherine immediately tensed up, glaring at Nick with confusion, but nonetheless understanding. She lightly patted Greg's back, trying to console him. She knew he was a good kid, just misguided sometimes.

"You are forgiven, Greg." 

Nick and Catherine both smirked at each other.

"I think there might be one more person you need to talk to, Greg. What do you think?" Nick broke the silence, getting a sad nod from Greg.

Catherine chuckled, grabbing Nick's shoulder and gently squeezing. "I'm glad you're okay Nicky." 

Nick picked up on the subtle worry in her voice.

"Thanks, Cath. I'm fine."

Nick smiled as he put his arms over Greg's shoulder, directing the younger CSI down the lab halls in search of Ray.

Eventually, they found him in his office, silent and looking around the room as if he was trying to catalog everything. He was also shaken up about the incident, but showed it in an eerily calm manner.

"Hey Ray, can I talk to you for a sec?" Greg shyly announced, knocking on his door with two fingers.

Ray slowly looked up, putting down the files he was holding in his hands with a smile. 

"Sure Greg. To what do I owe the honor?"

"I'm sorry...about earlier. I was being an idiot. You deserved to work that case, and I had no right to say that to you."

Ray laughed genuinely, already having forgotten that transgression the moment it happened.

"Apology accepted. You didn't have to come all the way here to say that."

"But he wanted to." Nick finished, highlighting the necessity for Greg's submission.

"I appreciate that." Ray sincerely replied, putting a few more things into boxes as he turned to Nick. "Glad you're okay."

"Thanks man."

Greg unknowingly latched himself onto Nick at Ray's words, going over possible scenarios in his mind about what happened at the shootout.

Ray's eyebrows raised at the sight. He knew everyone was a bit stirred up from the incident, and that the two men were good friends... But he never would have thought to see Greg embracing Nick so intimately. Maybe they were really good friends...or _maybe_...

A lightbulb suddenly went off in Ray's mind.

How had he never noticed this before? He was usually so perceptive... Even earlier at the crime scene, with Greg's outburst and Nick's reaction...

"All right, I think I'm gonna finally head home. Been a crazy day. Take care of yourself, Ray." Nick finished, tilting his head and dragging his counterpart out of the office.

"You too, Nick. Greg." Ray said with a smile, seemingly having figured out something important that he didn't want to share.


End file.
